Right now, 43 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition. Every 30 seconds, one of these children starves to death.

To combat this global crisis, we are proud to introduce Operation End Starvation, a historic public-private partnership with $33M committed by private philanthropists to scale up access to lifesaving treatments, notably Ready-to-Use therapeutic Food (RUTF) and prenatal vitamins (MMS). The Eleanor Crook Foundation is honored to partner with CRI Foundation, Annie and Jacob Ma-Weaver on this initiative.

Read the full announcement below:

With $33M Committed, Operation End Starvation Launches to Bring New Resources, Transparency, and Urgency to the Child Starvation Crisis

OES Enjoys Support from Washington, Private Philanthropies, and the NGO Community

Operation End Starvation (OES) today announced its launch as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to rapidly delivering proven, life-saving malnutrition interventions to children suffering from acute malnutrition around the world. Private philanthropic donors and foundations have committed $33M to the founding of OES, which has a goal of raising $4 billion over the next six years to prevent the leading cause of child mortality: malnutrition. OES will work to scale up the highest impact solutions to malnutrition sustainably, transparently, and cost-effectively to  ultimately realize a vision of no child dying of hunger. OES operates as a lean, public-private platform, with private philanthropy covering overhead costs, allowing public funding to be dedicated to manufacturing and delivering life-saving malnutrition commodities. 

Today, nearly 43 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition. Many of these children are so emaciated they can barely move. Their arms can shrink to the size of a quarter. Often, they are too weak to even cry. Every 30 seconds, one of these children starves to death. Nearly all of these deaths can be prevented with simple, proven, cost-effective solutions: treatment with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) and prevention with high-quality prenatal vitamins (MMS). These solutions can be scaled up right now so that no child dies of starvation. OES has been launched to do just that, and the organization is grateful for bipartisan congressional support in Washington for deploying these cost-effective malnutrition solutions.

The Hon. Chris Stewart, former Member of Congress (R-UT) and Chair of the OES Board of Directors: “This is a defining moment for the future of American-led international assistance. We know how we can end child deaths from hunger, bolster our support for our allies abroad, strengthen domestic farming and manufacturing, and substantially improve the cost-effectiveness of these programs. I’m thankful to help lead such an innovative new organization."

The new effort is being initially supported by foundations and philanthropists, including:

• The Eleanor Crook Foundation: A philanthropy fighting to end global malnutrition through research, policy analysis, and advocacy with a specific focus on RUTF and prenatal vitamins. ECF partners with governments that are leading transformational change on malnutrition.
• CRI Foundation: A private foundation dedicated to improving health outcomes and reducing extreme poverty in Africa. It operates through two main pillars: CRI Health, which provides grant-making for health initiatives, and CRI Research, which funds development economics research.
• Annie and Jacob Ma-Weaver: San Francisco-based philanthropists dedicated to supporting innovative, evidence-based initiatives that promote global health and combat malnutrition.

Will Moore, CEO of the Eleanor Crook Foundation and CEO of OES: “We have the solutions to end the leading cause of death of children: malnutrition. These solutions are so cheap and so scalable. But we need a new approach, and a greater commitment to cost-effectiveness, transparency, and innovation. American taxpayers deserve that. So do our implementing partners, and the 43 million acutely malnourished children currently on the edge of death - most without access to the life-saving products they need. OES will rapidly reach millions of these children through our lean, innovative model, our access to multiyear public and private resources, and our steadfast commitment to cost-effectiveness and transparency." 

Kara Weiss, Executive Director of the CRI Foundation: “The global malnutrition crisis demands urgent action and innovation. OES offers a new model that enables donors and governments to work together to provide efficient, accountable, and transparent malnutrition treatment at scale. CRI Foundation is proud to support  building something that advances the fight against child death from malnutrition.”

Annie and Jacob Ma-Weaver: “We are proud to support Operation End Starvation, a vital initiative that leverages catalytic capital from philanthropists to unlock critical government funding. This public-private partnership directly targets acute malnutrition, scaling evidence-based interventions to save lives and protect vulnerable communities."

Additional Board Members include the Hon. Ted Yoho, former Member of Congress (R-FL) and Co-Chair of the Consensus for Development Reform; Amit Paley, President of ECF and CEO of the Malnutrition Advocacy Fund; and Joseph Mandelbaum of 1Life1World.

How OES Will Work

OES is focused on procuring life-saving malnutrition commodities based on principles of cost-effectiveness and transparency. We will work with a diverse range of producers to ensure we deliver the best value for implementing partners and beneficiaries. In its first phase of operation, OES will focus on scaling up RUTF in priority contexts, but the platform is designed to procure and deliver a small basket of the most life-saving and cost-effective malnutrition commodities, including preventative solutions such as MMS.   

OES is a catalytic financing and delivery platform that enables government and private sector partners to move resources faster and at greater scale. The organization will contract with high-performing organizations that will implement cost-effective programming.

OES brings together a distinguished leadership team with deep experience in global health, government, and the private sector. OES is governed by an independent board and supported by a dedicated secretariat with expertise in program management, malnutrition, supply chain and logistics, procurement, and U.S. Government compliance, including former Members of Congress with longstanding records on international humanitarian and development issues. 

OES is designed to complement existing global efforts to address malnutrition and build on their successes. We recognize that global partners have made significant progress, and OES offers an additional model that brings together private-sector resources and government partnerships to accelerate progress toward cost-effective, transparent, and scalable solutions.

Shifting dynamics in global health funding have created an urgent need for nimble organizations to efficiently program malnutrition funding. OES is positioned to step into that role with the infrastructure, technical expertise, and government compliance capabilities to move quickly and deliver at scale. OES launches with a fully developed operational and compliance framework aligned with U.S. government requirements, enabling rapid deployment of funding and programs.

OES Enjoys Bipartisan, Wide-Ranging Support

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-2)

“Every time we let a child on this planet die of starvation, it is not just a policy failure, it is a moral failure. We have the food and the know-how to make sure nobody goes without. Hunger is a political condition. As Americans—as human beings—we should not be able to live with that. Operation End Starvation is the embodiment of the United States living up to our highest principles.”

Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA-8)

“RUTF and prenatal vitamins are life-saving, American-made, and produced by farmers and workers from nearly 30 states across this country. Operation End Starvation means more demand for American agriculture and American manufacturing, while ensuring that the dollars we invest go directly to saving children's lives.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3)

“I have long been a proud supporter of RUTF and MMS because it saves lives. It also draws on American ingenuity and supports jobs here at home. We must invest in life-saving food assistance and demonstrate the United States’ commitment to ending child hunger. Operation End Starvation is what American leadership can look like. We need to build new, smarter systems that deliver results the world can see.”

Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS-1)

“For 70 years, Kansas and American farmers have played an active role in sending their commodities to feed malnourished and starving populations around the world. RUTF is an effective, American-made solution that provides children in need with life-saving aid, and Operation End Starvation will help ensure we can provide that aid while supporting our agricultural community and providing accountability for taxpayer dollars.”

Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT)

"A child dies of starvation every thirty seconds. That is not a statistic we can accept when proven treatments exist. Operation End Starvation was built to close the gap between what we know works and what's actually being delivered on the ground. It's time to move faster, spend smarter, and save more lives."

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA-1)

"American farmers producing to support RUTFs are saving lives and greatly contributing to the economy. The United States is leading Operation End Starvation, with the proper oversight to ensure every federal dollar used is delivering life-saving aid to children in need. This is a win-win, and I am proud to represent Georgia and peanut farmers who are on the front line to end global hunger.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

“Around the world, children are starving as a result of war, famine, and misfortune. That should never happen. Operation End Starvation has dedicated itself to providing life-saving nutrition to put those children back on track to health. It’s hard to think of a more worthy cause. I applaud their mission and thank all of their team members for striving to make the mission successful.”

Sen. Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA)

“I’m proud to support Operation End Starvation and its fight to end child hunger. There is no reason why children should go hungry, and RUTF plays an important role in fighting global hunger. Not only is this program nourishing for the people it serves, but it also helps nourish Georgia’s economy, too.”

Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA-7)

"For too long, American taxpayers have had to take it on faith that their aid dollars were reaching the people who needed them most. Operation End Starvation changes that. With private philanthropy covering all overhead costs, every public dollar goes directly to purchasing and delivering treatment. And with real-time tracking, independent audits, and competitive procurement at every stage, donors and taxpayers finally get the accountability they deserve."

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20)

“No child should die of hunger. Operation End Starvation leverages the resources and ingenuity of the United States to prevent hunger and save children’s lives. America is at its best when we support mothers and families and lead the way to end hunger around the world.”

Rep. Don Davis (D-NC-1)

“Saving children's lives and supporting American farmers should never be a partisan issue — and with Operation End Starvation, they go hand in hand. Ready-to-use therapeutic food is made right here, from American peanuts and soybeans. When we invest in getting it to the children who need it, we're investing in our farmers and communities at the same time.” 

Dr. Charles E. Owubah, CEO of Action Against Hunger

"Malnutrition is one of the greatest threats to child survival worldwide and the underlying cause of nearly half of all child deaths. Operation End Starvation will rapidly increase our ability to combat hunger and save lives."

Eric P. Mitchell, President, Alliance to End Hunger

“Ending child hunger requires sustained commitment, smart policy, and strong partnerships across sectors. Operation End Starvation brings these elements together in a way that can help expand access to life-saving nutrition and move us closer to a world where preventable child deaths from malnutrition are a thing of the past.”

Sarah Bouchie, President & CEO, Helen Keller Intl

“Helen Keller Intl is committed to supporting partner countries to scale up proven, life-saving nutrition solutions for communities most at risk. Collaborative initiatives to combine private and public resources will accelerate access to two high‑impact nutrition interventions at a time when we must act with urgency.”

Janti Soeripto, President & CEO, Save the Children

“Save the Children has been treating children suffering from acute malnutrition for over a century, and we know that when children get the right treatment at the right time, the results are extraordinary. Special nutrition products like RUTF are effective tools in treating malnourished kids, yet millions of children still can't access them. While we work to make sure that children never get to this point, Operation End Starvation's focus on speed, scale, and accountability is a welcome piece of this puzzle.”

Rabih Torbay, CEO, Project HOPE

“At Project HOPE, we see the impact of the hunger crisis in the world’s most fragile environments, where missing a daily meal or therapeutic supplement can have devastating and far-ranging health consequences. In a world with so much abundance, no child or expectant mother should ever worry about their next meal. We support innovative solutions that bring us closer to a world where starvation is a thing of the past.” 

Wade Warren, SID-US Board Chair and former Acting USAID Administrator

“SID’s membership spans many of the organizations at the forefront of delivering global nutrition programs. What’s encouraging about OES is its commitment to working through those existing systems—while using open, competitive processes to bring the best partners forward and strengthen accountability across the response.” 

The Hon. Mark Dybul, Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Medical Center, Georgetown University and former Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and former United States Global AIDS Coordinator

"To combat global malnutrition, OES will streamline results using an improved model based on evidence, transparency, and speed."

Liz Schrayer, President and CEO, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) 

“At a time when food security is national security, America and the world need solutions that move at the speed of the crisis, especially when it comes to acute malnutrition. Simply put, investments in stable, healthy communities to address the root causes of food insecurity are not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do. That’s why Operation End Starvation’s model – leveraging philanthropic investments with public funding – is a real game-changer as one of the more innovative approaches, creating a win for America and a win for children throughout the world.”

The Hon. Mark Green, CEO of the ONE Campaign; former Ambassador to Tanzania, Member of Congress (R-WI), and USAID Administrator under President Trump

"Today’s hunger and malnutrition rates make it clear that old approaches will not suffice. By harnessing private sector innovation, Operation End Starvation is arriving not a moment too soon."

Betsy Bassan, Chair, SBAIC, American Small Businesses Advancing Global Impact

"Operation End Starvation is launching at the right time to create opportunities for American small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of America and can engage with OES to scale proven solutions to treat global child malnutrition." 

Dr. Neil Buddy Shah, CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative

“Nearly 43 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition today—yet we know exactly how to save them. RUTF is one of the most cost-effective interventions in global health, with recovery rates exceeding 90 percent. CHAI has seen this firsthand across dozens of countries: when children get the right treatment in time, the results are extraordinary. Operation End Starvation's focus on speed, transparency, and scale is a welcome addition to the global effort to reach every child who needs it.” 

Mark Moore, Co-Founder and CEO, MANA Nutrition

"Just as Operation Overlord established a decisive beachhead in the liberation of Europe in WW2, Operation End Starvation offers a similar foothold in the fight against global malnutrition. For too long, hunger has been addressed in fragmented ways; this moment represents a focused, coordinated effort capable of turning the tide. At MANA, we believe this kind of unified advance is how the beginning of the end of malnutrition takes shape—moving us from managing hunger to ending it."

Navyn Salem, Founder and CEO of Edesia Nutrition

“From our factory floor to the hands of a mother feeding her child, this product is one of the most powerful, proven tools in global health. What OES is doing—bringing scale, speed, and accountability to the entire pipeline—can mean the difference between life and death for millions of children.”

Domestic agriculture organizations have come out in support of OES, including the American Soybean Association, American Sugar Alliance, Dairy Farmers of America, Hoogwegt, Agri-Mark, Inc., Integrated Dairy Ingredients, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the U.S. Peanut Federation.